Nilai: National men's track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom believes he can return to peak form for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, scheduled to begin in September. The 29-year-old rider said his performance is now back on track after clocking a sub-10 seconds in the individual sprint, which he described as a positive sign after being hampered by a knee injury throughout last year. He said the sub-10s mark was his first since undergoing surgery about five months ago.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Shah Firdaus is optimistic about reaching his personal best time of 9.4 seconds. He managed to clock 9.8 seconds recently, showing significant improvement. Within a week, he has already shaved off around 0.2 seconds, which he considers a positive development. He is also aware of areas that need improvement, including acceleration and other aspects of his performance.

At the 2026 Track Cycling World Cup at the National Velodrome in Nilai today, Shah Firdaus achieved his main target by recording a time of 9.895 seconds in the qualifying round, placing him 25th among 54 riders. He successfully defeated Italy's Stefano Minuta in the 1/16 round but was eliminated in the 1/8 round by Italy's Mattia Predomo.

He stated that using heavier gearing in the meet did not cause any knee pain, which had been an issue previously. However, he noted that the bigger gear affected his acceleration during the race.

Shah Firdaus, nicknamed The Terminator, had a career highlight when he won the keirin gold medal at the Nations Cup in Konya, Turkiye, in March last year. Besides the 2026 Asian Games, he is also slated to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, beginning in July.